[ck3D]

It took some brainstorming in parts but that was worth it and now the fourth map of my project is done, bar gameplay and a detail pass as I go. Have fun decrypting it if you can. (Also broke my personal sector count record)

[ck3D]

[ck3D]

Started work on new sector miniboss.

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[Merlijn]

Great stuff ck, there's just no stopping you

I have good news, the Dover map is almost ready (currently being tested)

[ck3D]

Merlijn, on 03 February 2026 - 11:00 AM, said:

Great stuff ck, there's just no stopping you

I have good news, the Dover map is almost ready (currently being tested)

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That is so cool, I didn't realize it was this close to release. Please feel free to shoot it my way if you ever need someone else's check, I could use something fresh to play because in fact my sector miniboss has been doing okay at stopping me, I have been on it since my last post and am about 80% done with it but making little sector effector interfaces is so draining for every fraction of sequence to play out just right, and then on top play well. But also full of little lessons, for instance remembering that in most conditions you can trigger tangible explosions using RESPAWN instead of C9 in a sector that already would contain an interfering MASTERSWITCH, by shoving Babe Land cannonballs into things. That is the point we are at, so my brain could use a wee 2.5Dover vacation whether it is this week or if not, then whenever your new work is public. Very much looking forward to it either way!

[Merlijn]

ck3D, on 03 February 2026 - 04:27 PM, said:

That is so cool, I didn't realize it was this close to release. Please feel free to shoot it my way if you ever need someone else's check, I could use something fresh to play because in fact my sector miniboss has been doing okay at stopping me, I have been on it since my last post and am about 80% done with it but making little sector effector interfaces is so draining for every fraction of sequence to play out just right, and then on top play well. But also full of little lessons, for instance remembering that in most conditions you can trigger tangible explosions using RESPAWN instead of C9 in a sector that already would contain an interfering MASTERSWITCH, by shoving Babe Land cannonballs into things. That is the point we are at, so my brain could use a wee 2.5Dover vacation whether it is this week or if not, then whenever your new work is public. Very much looking forward to it either way!

I shared it in our discord chat, but IIRC you don't have discord installed right now? I can e-mail the map to you if you like, always appreciate your input.
There's no rush since I don't have a deadline in mind, except for "february 2026" )

And yeah, I made some really steady progress the last couple of weeks. So the map is pretty much finished, unless the beta testers find something seriously wrong with it haha

[ck3D]

Yeah last laptop died (after several months of inconsistently struggling, so I could see it coming) and there is no way I'm installing that app on my other machines. Please absolutely do email, I will play it and send my feedback in a flash either tonight or tomorrow.

To put things into perspective there is no way I would have had the focus to start my current project if I still checked every app there is. Such tools are useful to coordinate but also such a waste of potential.

One thing I forgot to say because I was too busy complaining about my own miniboss is one thing that I like is especially apparent in that selection of shots you posted is your appreciation of and gravitation around textures that look especially busy and gritty, and you have great taste with them (which isn't a given) and so that's neat.

(Now going back to 'programming' HP bars in the language that is SE13's.)

[Merlijn]

I totally get you when it comes to Discord, these apps are fun but they can also eat away your time (although social media like Instagram or Facebook are much, much worse).

Anwayz, I e-mailed you the beta. Have fun!
Also, can't wait to see that sector boss in action, sounds like it's going to be super intricate.

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your appreciation of and gravitation around textures that look especially busy and gritty

I certainly have a love for the gritty textures, which may be why I like DN3D's texture set so much. Although in the case of the white cliffs, it's not like there's much to choose from

[ck3D]

Merlijn, on 04 February 2026 - 08:25 AM, said:

Also, can't wait to see that sector boss in action, sounds like it's going to be super intricate.

It isn't that complex compared to things some others have done, but it is true 95% of the map so far (still not done with the boss) is machines:



Also having played the beta of your map now, I am able to spoil the improbable: people are in for a treat

[quakis]

ck3D, on 05 February 2026 - 11:12 AM, said:

Also having played the beta of your map now, I am able to spoil the improbable: people are in for a treat

It's a Merlijn map, I have no doubts. That's like saying the sky is blue and water is wet!

[ck3D]

That it is a Merlijn map is an understatement that should be impossible and simultaneously there is so much to be said about this map that would be particular to it - which is especially interesting about it. But I'll reserve my thoughts for when it has dropped should go without saying.

[quakis]

ck3D, on 05 February 2026 - 07:37 PM, said:

That it is a Merlijn map is an understatement that should be impossible and simultaneously there is so much to be said about this map that would be particular to it

I always look forward to a new release by Merlijn and was aiming at praising his body of work as a whole but, wow, I think you somehow exceeded beyond that and convinced me even my line of thinking might have been too... stagnant of one's potential? even if that weren't the intent... Maybe the sky should be green and the water will eat me alive.

[ck3D]

quakis, on 06 February 2026 - 01:09 PM, said:

I always look forward to a new release by Merlijn and was aiming at praising his body of work as a whole but, wow, I think you somehow exceeded beyond that and convinced me even my line of thinking might have been too... stagnant of one's potential? even if that weren't the intent... Maybe the sky should be green and the water will eat me alive.

Again I refuse to spoil anything but, something I can say is one way my brain is processing my impression of the map is it's already subconsciously writing a review of it (for Paul B's website?), but it's not even out yet. I am looking forward to playing the final version quite a bit too even though it isn't often that I tend to get that urge from maps I help out on testing for.

Speaking of spoilers, I finally just got done with the mechanics of and around my sector miniboss and I'm just going to revenge link to how some of its interface looks butt naked because this bozo took me a week to make and I can't have it. Progressive list (from just funny stuff to hmm...) so one can choose when to stop the drowning of the surprise although it's not this much of a reveal in reality. Detail may still change, for instance some text is placeholder, am noticing too there is an element that should be built a different way but all of the tedious stuff is out of the way. I had to adjust as much as my sleep pattern for the week for my focus to be able to keep up with every step, and kept notes of organized tasks on so many random paper scraps. I haven't even tested it yet but one advantage of the method is there will be clarity for every existing piece of the machine that (inevitably) will break, so whilst I'm not looking forward to the debugging in every possible case it should be obvious what is wrong and to retouch. I am sure I will have to tweak a couple of mechanics too (for difficulty) but that eventuality also is accounted for to not be so hard.

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Now I just need to put one last sequence together in that map and it will be done (for the time being, but it already has full gameplay throughout). Then I already started rough layout for the sixth and seventh map a while back and have had the time to think about them a whole lot since, and so hopefully they come together really quickly. This fifth one was such a ballbuster to make (and speedrunners will breeze through it all in ten seconds), going back to something less technical for a while should feel like such a creative release. But it also was good warm up for the final map which I want to be a bit similar, and (now I know) a bit simpler.